| 89 |
Case Study
|
Ideas for organizational policy changes to decrease incidence of pressure ulcers in an intensive care unit: understanding the role of on-going administrative support Karen Cole, RN, CWOCN, Jennifer Shaver, RN, NM/ICU This organizational policy case study presents specific ideas yielding a dramatic decrease in incidence of pressure ulcers among critically ill patients in a 12-bed Medical Surgical intensive care unit(ICU) in the northeast United States. Appropriate equipment, criteria-based protocols, education and on-going administrative support were implemented. From an administrative support perspective, daily managerial review of Braden scores, daily one-on-one patient care update between the department manager and primary care nurse, interdisciplinary team conferences and other strategies were implemented. Each primary care nurse was asked to review and sign a patient care contract indicating their commitment to skin health and prevention of pressure ulcers, along with several other best-practice initiatives. Baseline pressure ulcer prevalence was 50%, with incidence of 12%. Pressure ulcer incidence of 0% and 0% was noted at 6 and 12 month intervals, respectively. This study suggests that administrative support of skin health may be an important consideration in pressure ulcer prevention. |
|